Development of a torque transducer applying a new elastic structure, and a vibration damping device based on the principle of eddy current brake

Abstract

In recent years, demand for precise torque measurement less than 1 N·m has increased in various fields as equipment becomes smaller and improves performance. To ensure the proper traceability in the small torque capacity region, high-resolution torque transducers with small capacity as well as quite stable and precise torque standard machines (torque calibration equipment), are necessary. Torque transducers with small capacities have had worse resolution than transducers with medium or large capacities, and few have been capable of precise torque measurement. Therefore, the authors developed a small torque transducer that can measure torque with good resolution by using a new torque detection mechanism. The torque transducer designed in this study improved the resolution by about 16.8% compared to the conventional torque transducer with the same capacity. In addition, we introduced a new moment-arm damping control device based on the eddy current brake principle into our torque standard machine for more precise calibration.

Keywords

• torque
• torque transducer
• vibration
• damping
• eddy current damper